SoHo -
by DeadlyViperAssassinxElleDriver
Summary: (Parkslope : Part Deux)
1. Chapter 1

_*waves* Hey. So, there are some really good writer people on this site. Holy fuck... anyway, This is SoHo (*sings* ruby ruby ruby ruby soho)_

* * *

Heeled shoes clicked hurriedly along the freshly buffed linoleum flooring, quickening their pace as the young woman currently wielding a fresh double latte in her nervously shaking hands jogged towards the closing elevator doors.

"Wait! Hold the door, please." she called out desperately; sighing in relief as she saw a blazer-clad arm reach out to stop them abruptly, only to reopen once more. Bustling into the crowded elevator, the woman smiled politely to the man in very grateful thanks. "Fifteen, please." She murmured out as she took in the man's obviously flirtatious grin as he nodded before tapping the numbered button.

Watching as the illuminated numbers slowly ascended further, she took a few calming breaths as she straightened her blouse self-consciously. Looking down, she locked eyes on the document folder warily as she huffed once more in annoyance. This had been the woman's third week on the job and she was currently running extremely late with her coffee, as well as the all too important folder currently being held in her right hand.

Hearing the ding of the elevator, she released a final breath as she attempted to calm herself, straightening her posture confidently as she slapped on a wide smile just in time for the gold-tinted doors to slowly slide open.

Stepping out, she automatically set a steady pace as she made a beeline to her boss' impossibly beautiful corner office located, conveniently, at the opposite side of the bustling floor.

Earning several nods and warm greetings as she passed her coworkers and throwing her own half-hearted greetings in return, she grew more and more anxious as the solid oak door of her boss' office came into view. Through the open blinds, she could see the three men sitting on the luxurious white couch of her boss. She let an inaudible explicit leave her lips as her eyes slid closed in quiet annoyance.

Stopping in front of the door, she gathered herself quickly before raising her hand to rap lightly on the surface. Earning a muffled 'Come in', she exhaled slowly before entering.

"Tasha," The voice called out, causing the three guests to turn their attention to the office door with curiosity. "Good morning."

"Good Morning, Ms. Vause; gentlemen." Tasha nodded towards the men with a nod, offering a polite, practiced smile. "I apologize for my tardiness but I have the document you asked for." Tasha rushed out in a wavering tone as she lifted the folder in her hand for emphasis.

Alex bit back a rumble of laughter at seeing her new assistant's flustered demeanor. "That's fine, Tasha. No worries; Gentlemen-" She began as she turned her eyes back towards them, effectively gaining their attention once more. "Now that we have the contract, shall we move this to the boardroom?"

The three men shared a look before offering a silent nod as the raised from their seats and hilariously, as if showing a practiced display of perfect synchronization, buttoned their suit jackets confidently and filed out of the woman's office.

Rolling her eyes, Alex looked skyward before moving closer to her assistant and throwing her arm around her shoulders lazily with a huff. "Do I have to go?" Alex whined as she lifted her glasses atop her head with her unoccupied hand, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Yes." Tasha laughed as she ran a comforting hand over that of Alex's, which dangled beside her shoulder. Rubbing it a few times in a comforting gesture, she then proceeded to grasp it as she lifted it off of her, moving out of her reach, much to the dismay of Alex, who had been leaning lazily on her. "You can't hide in here all day." Tasha threw out over her shoulder as she walked over to the large, matching oak desk of her boss to deposit the coffee on its surface. "I'm so, so sorry for being late, by the way." She added after a moment with a look of dread enveloping her features as she reached her arm out to hand Alex the file folder.

"Pfft," Alex scoffed humorously as she reached out to grasp the proffered folder. "I don't give a shit." Alex mumbled as she opened the folder as she silently scrutinized the legal documents held within with a squint of her eyes. Realizing she still had her glasses resting atop her head, she shook it incredulously while mumbling 'idiot' before resting them once more on the bridge of her nose. Sighing loudly, she closed the folder with finality before locking eyes with the other woman. "I can't wait for Richard to get back. This isn't my thing."

"Dealing with rich, old, uptight white guys isn't your thing? I had no idea." Tasha threw out lowly, sarcasm dripping from her tone as she chanced a look out the open door to make sure she hadn't been overheard. "When is Mr. Chapman comin' back anyway?"

"Not soon enough." Alex sighed as she walked over to her desk, grasping her cup of coffee and bringing it to her lips for a greedy sip. "Next week." She added in a choke as the warm liquid made its way down her throat. "I just want to go back to doing what I do best; none of this corporate schmoozing bullshit."

"But you're so good at it." Tasha smiled superficially with slight bat of the eyelash

"mhm, don't think I forgot about the fact that I heard you use the word 'tardiness.' Who are you?" Alex grinned teasingly. She had interviewed countless applicants before coming across Tasha Jefferson. Sure, she hadn't had the most experience but yet, neither had Alex. This was the first titled position she had ever had.

It had been a year since Alex had joined Chapman Industries; New York City headquarters. After endless urging from her boss/girlfriend's father, she finally cracked and agreed to hire an assistant. It was the least she could do after inadvertently leaving the man hanging regarding her backing out of the San Francisco position offered to her almost two years ago. After much convincing, the man relented and offered her a job in the city.

"They're waiting for you in the boardroom, boss." Tasha reminded as she turned her back to the other woman, making her way towards the door

"I don't care. Let them wait; they're boring." Alex called after her with disinterest as she raised her cup to her lips once more before halting her movements, the cup hovering in front of her lips. "And I told you not to call me that."

"mhmm." Tasha called over her shoulder as she made her way out of the office and towards her desk.

Watching her assistant's retreating form for a moment as she tapped her index finger against the Styrofoam cup in thought, she allowed herself a few moments of tranquility before having to retire to the shark tank; otherwise known as the boardroom. Sighing heavily with a roll of the eye, Alex downed another mouthful of her rapidly cooling coffee before turning to grab the laptop sitting tauntingly atop the surface of her desk. "Here we go." She whispered to herself, straightening her posture and striding out of her office.

* * *

"Hello?" Alex called out as she dodged carelessly strewn items littering the floor near the threshold of the newly purchased SoHo apartment, losing her balance slightly. Huffing an explicit as she kicked her heels off, she lowered her messenger bag to the floor carelessly as she made her way through the barely furnished space. "Piper?" Alex half-heartedly attempted to call out once more as she could barely hear herself over the blaring sounds of The Rolling Stones coming from their record player.

Shrugging her shoulders dismissively, she turned towards the kitchen and visibly cringed at the vast amounts of half empty cardboard boxes covering the granite counter top. She stared intently for a moment, contemplating whether or not to start putting things away in their rightful place. Shaking her head, she mumbled, "Nope" and turned towards the fridge, retrieving a Stella Artois and proceeded to seek out the bottle opener.

Hearing the lyrics of 'She's a Rainbow' being belted out and seemingly coming closer, Alex placed the bottle on any available space she could find and leaned against the counter, awaiting her girlfriend's arrival at any moment.

"She comes in colours ev'rywhere, she combs her hair, she's like a raaiinnbo-AHH!" Piper screamed mid-sing as she came face to face with the taller woman, the numerous objects in her arms dropping instantly to the floor as she raised a hand to her chest, desperately attempting to calm her rapidly beating heart.

Alex attempted to hold her indifferent expression but failed miserably as she bent at the waist and began to cackle senselessly. Seeing the blonde reach for one of the discarded dish towels she dropped, Alex turned her body, shielding it as the towel came hurling at her.

"You scared the fucking, fuck! Alex, I can't even… fuck!" Piper shouted as she covered her face with her hands in an attempt to hide the blush due to her frazzled, less than stellar vocabulary.

Alex chuckled as she moved closer to the woman, grasping her wrists and peeling her hands away from her face. Offering an apologetic grin, she leaned in within an inch of the other woman's lips and hovered. "Hey." She whispered, her breath puffing against her girlfriend's mouth

"Hey." Piper responded after her composure had sufficiently been restored and offered a crooked smile in return. "Asshole." She breathed a laugh as she leaned in the remaining distance, depositing a soft, lingering kiss to the full ones waiting patiently. Inhaling deeply through her nose, Piper broke the kiss suddenly, pecking her playfully before pulling out of the embrace. "How was work?"

Alex groaned as the warm body left her embrace and lowered her head. Turning to her forgotten beer, she grasped it in her hands and held it out for the blonde, tapping the cap wordlessly. Picking up on the less than subtle hint, Piper reached into one of the numerous boxes and retrieved the bottle opener they had bought in the Bahamas last winter. Popping off the cap, she tossed it towards the makeshift garbage bin before turning back to her staring girlfriend.

"How did you find that so quickly?" Alex questioned with knitted brows as she gazed down at her bottle, swirling the contents absentmindedly

"Organized chaos." Piper offered with a shrug "It's how I roll." She added, the exhaustion in her voice disguising the humor of the statement.

"I told you to wait until I got home so that we could do this together." Alex offered sympathetically as she ran a comforting hand along the blondes shoulder. Grasping it, she spun the girl so that her back was towards her and leaned against the kitchen counter. Depositing her bottle on the sink, she raised both hands and began to gently massage the girl's shoulders. "Better?"

"Hmm, getting there." Piper murmured in response as she ducked her head lower, exposing her neck. Taking the hint, Alex moved her hands, snaking them up to the woman's sore neck.

"Here?"

"Yes." Piper breathed out as her eyes slid closed. After a few minutes and a couple of close calls- dozing off while standing, she tapped the hands to signal the woman to stop her ministrations. "Thank you, baby." She whispered as she turned, depositing a soft kiss on her girlfriend's lips.

"Yep" Alex mumbled around the lip of her beer once she brought it to her lips. Halting her movements, she quirked an eyebrow at the girl "and work was brutal." She murmured before finally tipping the bottle back, letting the golden liquid slither down her throat with a warm welcome.

"That's right! I _did_ ask how work was. I am such a good girlfriend." Piper grinned as she turned towards a box perched haphazardly atop the countertop and began to unload various items. "and _why_ was it so terrible?" she questioned as her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Turning to Alex as she raised the rather risqué shot glass up in silent question, she earned a simple shrug in response.

"Nicky bought that for me." Alex grimaced as she took in the husky, naked woman pictured on the glass.

"So… toss?" Piper questioned as she chucked a thumb over her shoulder and to the garbage bin

"Are you fucking kidding me? I'm not risking her make me sign another ridiculous 'friendship' contract because I threw out that piece of shit." Alex held her finger up, halting whatever protest the blonde was about to offer. "Trust me, she will notice."

"Alrighty." Piper sighed as she returned it to the box. Since she had begun unpacking this morning, she had found countless cringe-worthy items of Alex that she was itching to throw away. To say that their tastes had differed would quite possibly be the understatement of the century. "Alright, sorry. Attention restored; why was work so terrible?"

"Richard needs to come home." Alex groaned out as she leaned her head back, eyes rising skyward in a show of frustration. "I'm an architect, not a fucking… business… do-er… guy." Alex rolled her hand as she spoke, searching for a way to articulate herself and desperately coming up short.

Piper's eyes crinkled in the corners as she snorted a laugh over her shoulder. "What the hell did you just say?"

"I have no idea" Alex mumbled with a grin around the mouth of her bottle, shaking her head at her own choice of words

"Alex, daddy just wanted to leave the company in the hands of someone he trusts while he's away." Piper said seriously as she scoffed at a lobster-claw oven mitt, throwing it distastefully in the garbage bin with a shake of the head.

"Uh…" Alex began as she placed the bottle once more on the counter and leaned the right side of her body closer to her girlfriend, lowering her head slightly to gain her attention. "I backed out of a major project in San Francisco in favor of fucking his daughter."

"Yeah," Piper drawled with a slow nod of the head "if this were the South, he probably would have shot you." She added, laughing at the brunette's annoyed scoff

"No more 'Dallas' reruns; you're cut off." Alex pointed with a ghost of a smirk before turning her head slightly to appraise the kitchen. Resting her hands on her hips, she blew out a puff of air. "Okay, what can I do?" she asked determinedly

"Uh," Piper uttered in thought as her eyes swept around the kitchen in search of nothing particular. Tugging the corner of her bottom lip and chewing slightly in deliberation, her eyes fell onto a few boxes discarded in the hallway labeled 'Bedroom'. "Oh! Can you bring those boxes upstairs to our room, sweetie?"

Alex's face contorted humorously as she squatted lower to retrieve the boxes littering the hallway. "Sweetie?" she questioned with a slight scoff as she lifted the first box into her arms

"I don't know what that was; shut up and go." Piper mumbled with a dismissive wave of her hand, earning a stressed chuckle from the other woman as she tried desperately to counterbalance the weight of the box in her arms.

Shuffling up the stairs, a few explicit choice words tumbling here and there, Alex finally made it to the bedroom door. Frowning at the closed door, she shuffled the box against her hip, tugging it under her arm with a slight stumble. Regaining her balance, she reached for the doorknob and swung the door open. Waiting for her over the threshold was their four poster bed, fully assembled with fresh new linens neatly made up presentation. Around the scarcely furnished room were a few lit candles sporadically placed around the darkened room.

Alex gaped as she took in the uncharacteristically romantic gesture. Hearing footfalls ascending the steps and falling silent behind her, she glanced over her shoulders and locked eyes with Piper. The glow of the candlelight kissing her skin as the flames bounced off of her impossibly blue eyes which seemed to be darkening with each passing second.

Piper's eyes held a sense of mischief, completely betraying the beautifully sweet smile painting her lips. Tilting her head, her eyes moved passed her stunned girlfriend and into the room with. "You like?" She quietly asked as she threw a nod inside the room for emphasis.

"This is really fucking romantic." Alex nodded approvingly as she tried desperately to repress the smile threatening to break through. "I mean, I would have done it better, but it's still nice." Chuckling as she earned a shove in the shoulder, her laughter tapered off as she offered a soft smile. "What's the occasion?"

"You've been really stressed with work and the move, I just thought It would be nice to sleep in our own bed tonight." Piper offered softly with a shrug

"It's perfect." Alex murmured as she pecked the woman's lips quickly. Placing the box down on the hardwood flooring with a thud, she walked backwards towards the bed, cautious of the candles littering the floor. Easing down on the edge of the bed, she bounced a couple of times testing the softness of their new, ridiculously expensive mattress before lifting her eyes to meet the sea blues staring from the doorway. "Who did you get to put the bed together?"

"I did it." Piper shrugged easily as she advanced into the darkened room.

Eyes widening, Alex suddenly sprang to her feet in a hurry, sparing a glance back towards the bed which was surprisingly enough to her, still standing. "You what? Why? We talked about getting Pete over to help us." She reasoned, her voice an octave higher.

"He couldn't make it today" Piper responded with a roll of the eye "It's not a big deal, Al. We've been sleeping on the floor with only a mattress and a blanket. It looked like a crackhouse in here." Piper reasoned "It actually wasn't that hard." She shrugged

"You know what else didn't seem that hard? Fixing the toaster." Alex narrowed her eyes as she recalled the hot glue gun-toaster incident of last year "Or the knob on the gas stove at your parents place."

"You swore you would never bring that up again!" Piper threatened with an accusatory point of her finger

"I'm not sleeping on this, Pipes." Alex shook her head profusely as she pointed to the bed for emphasis. "I'm sorry, I appreciate the gesture, but I'm not risking it."

"Fine." Piper nodded with an even timber in her voice. "Sleep on the floor." Piper ground out through her impeccably straight teeth, which were currently clenched in silent rage. Turning on her heel, she exited the bedroom, swinging the door shut behind her.

* * *

It was several hours later and Alex was sitting upright, fighting relentlessly with the blankets covering the lower half of her body with a slight growl. Hearing a sigh from the bed above her, she looked up to see Piper laying comfortably in the bed, watching her every move. Holding each other's glares for a moment, Piper eventually shuffled her body, turning away from the woman still situated on the floor.

Sighing, Alex regarded her for a moment before laying down on the floor, her head softly landing on the pillow below her.

Alex was uncomfortable. She had been sleeping on the floor for almost a week and at first, it hadn't really bothered her. Buying the new place with Piper had a lot to do with that. The excitement of owning something together; the first night spent in the house, sleeping with blankets sprawled on the floor felt like a nostalgic novelty.

It was now abundantly clear now, as she lay on the cool floor alone, that the novelty had worn off. She missed the warmth of the blonde beside her. They had barely spent more than a handful of nights apart since they became official. Now, having the blonde stubbornly sleeping so close, yet still out of reach frustrated her to no end.

Huffing loudly, she threw the blankets to the side carelessly as she rose to her feet. Making a pitter patter of footfalls as she walked around the king size bed, she stopped at her own side and stared stubbornly at the blonde with crossed arms. "Can I come in?" She asked, avoiding the barely visible glint of the woman's eyes shining from the light through the window.

"Are you sure? Can you risk it?" Piper asked sarcastically before eventually sighing as she pulled back the covers in silent invitation.

Alex stood rooted for a moment; unsure of the stability of the bed that she was almost positive was missing a screw or five. Laying her hand upon the mattress, she pressed down cautiously, trying not to make it too obvious to the blonde that she still did not trust her so called 'handyman' skills.

Hearing an irritated sigh come from the woman, Alex finally decided to climb in. albeit, very slowly. As she eased to a comfortable position, she let a content sigh escape her lips. Content- Relieved.

Turning her head towards the grinning blonde, she offered a crooked smile "you did good, kid." She murmured as she slid closer to the other woman. Piper's grin widened as they both leaned in to lay their lips upon the other.

Suddenly, both heard an ominous creaking effectively halting their lips a breath away from each other's. Furrowing her brows, Piper tilted her head to the side, glancing down the bed towards their feet. "What was that?" she whispered

"I don't-" Alex began quietly before her words escaped in a sudden shriek as the mattress and box spring fell helplessly through the bed's wooden frame, landing heavily on the wooden floor. Both women sat up immediately as they snapped their heads towards eachother.

Suddenly, Alex broke out into a loud laugh as Piper raised her hands, sufficiently hiding her embarrassment behind them. "Fuck" she muffled out

Alex wrapped her arm around the mortified blonde and gently pulled her down into a laying position. Hugging her tightly while a chuckle still erupted from her throat, she began running her fingers through the coconut scented blonde tresses soothingly. "It's okay, babe."

"Please, don't talk right now." Piper muffled out as she buried her face in the brunette's shoulder "I need you to not talk right now."

"If it helps, I still think the gas stove incident was worse." Alex shrugged teasingly as she attempted to alleviate the mortification the blonde was currently feeling

"Okay, yeah." Piper agreed as she lifted her head to lock eyes on the green ones shining back at her. "That was definitely worse."

"I actually didn't know eyelashes could grow back before that." Alex murmured with a tired smirk as she hugged the woman tighter to her body; eyes sliding closed.

"Asshole." Piper grinned as she shoved the other woman

"We'll call Pete tomorrow." Alex mumbled

"I hate you." Piper said, barely above a whisper; completely unsure that Alex had heard her until the husky chuckle of the woman floated through her ears, bringing a smile to her face

* * *

 _I swear, there is a plot.._


	2. Chapter 2

_*waves* Hey. So this chapter... this is the new chapter. I guess, read and find out? haha. I'm terribly at Author's notes. Apologies_

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The week passed with relatively no incident, besides the occasional argument regarding where to place various items and what exactly they should do with the guest bedroom. It was now Monday morning and Alex hugged her messenger bag close to her body tensely as she boarded the elevator. Glancing at her black-faced Michael Kors watch, she sighed, the sound magnified by the echo of the empty lift. As she watched the illuminated numbers climb at an impossibly slow pace, her mind wandered to the day that lay ahead.

Today was the day Richard Chapman would be returning from the Dallas conference and Alex was a bundle of nerves. She had anticipated the man's return, griping every day that she wasn't cut out for the corporate aspect of her job. However, she didn't want to let the man down and wanted above all else, his approval.

Stepping off the elevator as it came to an abrupt halt on the fifteenth floor, she strode towards her office, her brows furrowing as she grew closer. Her office door was left open with the lights turned on. Approaching cautiously, she poked her head through the threshold and released a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. Seeing the impeccably dressed man staring out her window silently with his arms crossed behind his back, she waited a moment before clearing her throat.

"Sir?" she called out, slowing her strides as she approached her desk. Seeing the man turn towards her with a smirk, she deposited her coffee atop her desk and lifted her messenger bag off of her shoulder, placing it gently into the chair situated in front of her desk. "Welcome back." She offered nervously

"Thank you." Richard responded politely before turning a side glance towards the window, raising his finger to point towards the pristine glass. "Beautiful view, isn't it?"

"Yes, sir." Alex responded lowly with a nod of her head for affirmation. She couldn't remember the last time the CEO of the company was standing in her office making cryptic conversation with her. As she took a moment to think about it, she came up with an answer- never. "How was Dallas?" Alex questioned suddenly as an uncomfortable silence enveloped the spacious office, unclipping her bag and retrieving several file folders.

"Tacky." Richard replied deadpanned as he turned his full attention towards the visibly nervous woman. Taking a step towards her intricately designed solid oak desk, he knocked on the surface with a closed fist before lifting his eyes to meet hers. "I think I pay you too much. This is desk is magnificent." He smirked teasingly

"Ha," Alex chuckled once as she adjusted the frames resting on the bridge of her nose. "Piper actually picked it out for me." She offered, with a murmur. Alex had always tried to avoid talk of the man's daughter at all costs. It wasn't like he had disapproved; in fact he had been silently supportive – more so than his wife. It was the mere fact that she cringed thinking about the man knowing she was sleeping with his daughter.

"Ah, how is my pumpkin doing?" He asked with a close lipped smile, eyes narrowing on her as he lifted his chin slightly higher.

"Very well, sir." Alex offered with a slight squirm. Her weight shifted from one foot to the other as he silently scrutinized her. "We're almost settled in." she offered with a polite smile.

"Right," he responded almost immediately with widened eyes "The 'big move'. It completely slipped my mind with all of the chaos surrounding the Dallas takeover." He added somewhat regretfully before straightening his posture as only a Chapman could. "Carol and I must visit once you're ready. I'll bring that lovely bottle of Shiraz we had at thanksgiving."

"Sounds perfect, sir." Alex smiled nervously as her mind raced. Their apartment was literally in shambles and would be for the foreseeable future if she and Piper didn't get their shit together and compromise on how to decorate

"Excellent." He nodded, raising his hands to adjust his Windsor knot as his head tilted slightly. Lowering his hands, he placed them into his pant pockets as he took one last glance around the woman's office. "Well, I'll leave you to it. I'm sure you're just itching to draw up the BP's for the Addison account." He offered with a knowing smirk

"Yes, sir; I am." Alex nodded, offering the first genuine smile of the morning to the man

"I assume you've begun working on them already?" Richard questioned with a raise of his brow

"You assume correctly." She answered with a slightly embarrassed husk in her voice. She really hated appearing eager, however this was her dream project.

"Okay." He laughed as he made his way towards the oak door of the woman's office with a seamlessly determined stride. Stopping abruptly, he turned his body, resting his hands once more in his pockets. "By the way, I wanted to speak to you about something later. Would you mind stopping by my office this afternoon?" he questioned out of as a polite formality. Richard was a powerful man; you don't say no when he requests your presence; a fact he is well aware of.

"Yeah, yes." Alex stumbled with a shake of the head "Does two o clock sound okay?"

"How about we make it for one, instead?" he responded off handedly "I'd like to get this over with; 'sooner the better' and all that." He added with a unnerving, close lipped smile. Alex prided herself on being able to read people very well. She could see something stirring in his eyes, however she couldn't quite make out what exactly that was.

After a silent moment running through every possible scenario in her head, she eventually nodded her head with some reluctance. "One it is."

Smile widening further, he raised his eyebrows once in what was sure to be a completely innocent gesture, however came across as almost taunting to the woman and turned without another word, retreating to the elevators.

"Fuck." Alex whispered to herself as she stood motionlessly, watching his retreating form with worry-filled eyes.

* * *

At five to one in the afternoon, Alex stepped onto the elevator anxiously. Tapping the button to the eighteenth floor, she waited until the doors slid closed before shaking her hands out at her side to rid herself of her nerves. Since the ominous talk with her boss this morning, Alex had been a complete mess. As the elevator rose at a snails pace, she thought back to her conversation with Nicky; calling the girl immediately after her boss had left her office door.

" _Vause, you better be on fire if you're calling me this early" Nicky muffled through the receiver, a long-winded yawn following closely behind_

" _I think I'm getting fired." Alex rushed out quietly, turning to shield the phone from her assistant that had just walked in wielding her morning cup of coffee. Smiling at the woman, who she had recently learned from a shared scotch in her empty office after hours was nicknamed 'Taystee', she thanked her silently, politely dismissing her_

" _Lorna, stop. I need to get out of bed. Vause is having another meltdown." Nicky mumbled to her girlfriend what she thought was quietly, earning an eyeroll from Alex in response. Hearing shuffling and then the patter of footfalls from the other line, Alex huffed impatiently. Suddenly she heard the trickling of water causing Alex's brows to knit in confusion before her eyes widened suddenly in realization._

 _._

" _Are you peeing?" Alex whispered harshly, looking over her shoulder at Tastee, who looked into her office suddenly from her desk situated directly outside the door_

" _Yes, get over it. Tell me what happened and give me the short version." Nicky tiredly responded; her voice taking on even thicker, gravely tone than usual._

" _Richard said he wanted to talk to me."_

 _The line was silent for a few moments before Alex heard the long sigh coming through the other end. "That's it? And?"_

" _Nicky, the man has never talked to me about anything other than blueprints, Piper, or Wine. Now he comes back after leaving me in charge for two weeks and suddenly wants me to 'stop by his office around one'?" Alex finished with a terribly inaccurate impression of her boss_

" _Maybe he wants to give you a medal" Nicky offered_

" _Have you ever had an actual job?" Alex questioned in disbelief. Nicky was currently in her fourth career transition of the year, claiming that she was now an artist of some type. Despite her best friend's insistence that getting high, covering herself and Lorna in paint, and having sex on a canvas isn't exactly considered 'art', Nicky seems to have settled on the idea._

" _Look Vause, I'm about thirty seconds away from hanging up on you because I am a tired and grumpy motherfucker right now. Suck it up, put on your big girl pants; preferably those leather ones that your ass look incredible, and see what daddy Chapman has to say to you, alright?"_

 _._

Faintly hearing the ring of the elevator over her racing thoughts, Alex straightened her posture as the doors slid open. Taking a slightly shaky, hesitant step out onto the marble flooring, Alex began her long strides towards her boss' office.

Stepping in front of Penny, Richard's long-time assistant, Alex cleared her throat, effectively gaining the woman's attention away from the computer monitor before her. Smiling warmly with a subtle appraisal of the other woman's attire, Penny lifted the receiver of her phone without so much as a word to the woman before her. "Mr. Chapman; Alex Vause is here to see you." Not being able to hear the voice on the other end, Alex watched as the secretary nodded her head once before lowering the receiver to it's cradle. "Go on in, Ms. Vause."

"Thanks, Penny." Alex offered with a close lipped smile; her nerves suddenly getting the best of her as she hesitantly made her way inside the man's office.

"Can I get you anything? Coffee, water?" Richard questioned politely as they both took a seat at opposite ends of the man's desk. Alex's knees rocked in anticipation as she looked around the man's office with quiet regard. Eyes landing on the family photos lining the man's desk, her eyes landed on the beautiful blue eyes of her girlfriend. Piper had to have been around eighteen years old when the photo was taken; donning a knitted sweater decorated festively with reindeer, Alex smiled softly as she took in the grin staring back at her, suddenly feeling a sense of calm.

"Thank you, sir. I think I'll pass." She offered with a somewhat renewed sense of confidence.

"Very well; let's get started, then." The man offered as he straightened in his seat, shoulders shifting back as he laced his fingers together atop the table. "I'm sure you're wondering why I wanted to speak with you."

"Yes, sir." Alex nodded as she unintentionally mirrored his positioning of her hands

"As you know, I've been away for a couple of weeks and left the majority of responsibility in your hands. I was a little hesitant at first, seeing as, despite you having a minor in business, you really have no prior experience handling a company of this magnitude. Alas, I decided I wanted someone I trust handling my affairs." He began, his tone almost monotonous as he if he had practiced this speech several times before; a fact that was setting Alex's teeth on edge. "As I mentioned, you took on an abundance of responsibilities not mentioned in your job title; one of those responsibilities being the Wallace account." He lowered his head knowingly, his lips forming a thin line as he watched Alex's body language shift suddenly. "I hear that Duncan, Burrows, and Wattley paid you somewhat of a surprise visit demanding to renegotiate the contract."

"Yes, sir." Alex nodded quickly "They had called me late in the afternoon on the day prior. I had to have my assistant Ms. Jefferson pick the document up in the morning from legal. She was a few minutes late but we managed to pull it off." She added in one breath. Alex knew that this would be her undoing; the three men she had met with the week prior were corporate savages. It was only a matter of time before word got back to Richard regarding the impromptu meeting.

Richard regarded her for another silent moment before a slight smirk upturned the right side of face. "Pull it off, you did, apparently." He offered as he untangled his hands, opting for a more casual position as he leaned back in his chair, lacing them behind his head. "Apparently, the three stooges were quite impressed with your poise and practicality." He offered with a roll of the eye as he quoted the men's words with a smile. "The contract has been pushed through and we've officially secured the Wallace account. They also mentioned that you offered some advice regarding the cathedral ceiling."

Alex was stunned for a moment as she let the words of her boss tumble around her head. Finally catching up to the present, she shook her head slightly. "Yeah, yes; I did. I feel like doing something that ambitious on a foundation they refuse to repair would threaten the structural integrity." She offered, immediately feeling comfortable in a subject she knew well

"Agreed." Richard offered with a nod. "They refuse to lay a new foundation because they're cheap bastards, yet want the building to appear as if no expense was spared." He paused "Truth be told, I hated the idea since day one; it screams 'gaudy'"

"Vanity." Alex nodded with a slight grin

Resuming his professional façade as he rested his hands atop the desk in front of him, he leaned his weight slightly forward, making the woman's body once more go rigid with anxiety. Face showing a look of practiced indifference, he stared at the young woman before him. Suddenly, a slow grin spread across his features. "You did a wonderful job, Alex. I wanted to thank you, so can you possibly relax now?" He chuckled at seeing the expression cross the woman's features as she exhaled a sigh of relief

"I- thank you, sir." Alex breathed before letting a chuckle escape from the back of her throat. It had always been a habit of hers to laugh when faced with a stressful situation; most of the time it came across as inappropriate timing, however she couldn't really help it. "I thought that- nevermind." She offered after her laughter had subsided

"You thought that, what? What did you think?" He smiled absentmindedly as he focused on the woman before him nervously adjust her frames.

"I thought that… well, I thought that you were going to fire me."

"Why?" he slightly drawled with a disbelieving gape of his mouth as he leaned closer, earning another chuckle from the woman

"Because, I don't know. I thought that you were maybe disappointed with how I've handled things while you were gone." Alex responded self-consciously with a shrug of the shoulders somewhat resembling that of a scolded teenager.

"Alex," he began, his eyes sliding closed in a slight show of annoyance as he leaned back, straightening his posture once again. "You need to learn how to be confident in the decisions that you make and the work that you do. I see the confidence radiate off of you when you're presenting your BP's to the board; or when you're with my Piper." He scolded gently "I mean," he began as his eyes looked around his office nonchalantly "If you're going to be placing you on the board of Chapman industries, I need to know that you feel confident in what you're doing." He finished with a shrug as his eyes focused intently on the other woman, anticipating her reaction

"You're absolutely right, sir. I apologize; I'm just not used to whole-" she paused, the man's finally registering within her mind "the whole… the… I'm sorry, what did you say?" she stuttered as she moved her body closer, almost leaning completely on the man's impressively enormous desk.

"I think you heard me correctly." He offered with a chuckle, swiveling his chair as he folded his hands across his abdomen.

"Why?" she offered simply after a few moments of heavy silence.

Sighing, the man raised from his seat. Making his way to the picturesque New York City scenery visible through his large, spotless windows, he folded his hands behind his back as he silently gazed outside. "Alex, the board has been trying to push me out. Not all of them, but as of last Tuesday, they have managed to gain another supporter. They've been trying to gain the support of the share-holders as well." He continued emotionlessly as he turned his attention to the woman sitting in his armchair. "I'm in jeopardy of losing the company that I built from the ground up. I need someone that I can trust." Richard voiced as he once again moved towards is desk, opting to sit atop the edge with a hike of his leg. "I need an ally, Alex. I know that this corporate 'mumbo jumbo' isn't your cup of tea. All you would need to do is sit in on the meetings and report anything that could be of some use to me after we've adjourned."

"That's it?" Alex questioned hesitantly; instantly hating the idea as she was already in way over her head. The thought of taking on a responsibility of this magnitude quite literally scared the hell out of her. She couldn't possibly accept, could she? She had no prior business experience and didn't want to become one of the stuffy, board member asshole's that couldn't even be bothered to learn her name; always offering a 'well done, Alison' after she would present a set of designs, making her cringe.

However, this was a man who had taken a chance on her; and once she had let him down, decided to once again offer her a shot. This was also the man partly responsible for the love of her life and the reason for her current bliss.

What could possibly go wrong?

"All I have to do is report to you?" she pressed once again for clarification

"That's all." He answered with a nod and ghost of a smirk as he could see the signs of acceptance showing through the woman's bright eyes

"Okay." She nodded more to herself than the man she was responding to. "I'll do it."

"Thank you, Alex." He smiled widely as he stood. Alex, taking the cue, stood to attention as well and shook the hand offered to her with a firm grip and a nervous sense of enthusiasm. "We're going to be a team, you and I." he grinned as he placed his unoccupied hand atop the woman's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "It's such a relief to know that I have someone on my side."

Alex said nothing but offered a close lipped smile in response. As she tried desperately to hide the anxiety behind the confident handshake she was offering them man, she couldn't help the strange feeling in the pit of her stomach.

* * *

Opening the door with a slight hesitation, Alex tiredly walked over the threshold, instantly being welcomed with aroma of food filling her senses. Humming in appreciation as she inhaled deeply, she rested her messenger bag to the side as she kicked off her heels carelessly in a way that was sure to ignite an argument later on. However, Alex couldn't be bothered with that as she eased her way through the spacious apartment, making a beeline to the living room.

Instantly spotting her girlfriend curled up on the couch with a container of lo mein, noodles dangling humorously from her lips as she attempted to catch them with her chopsticks, Alex smiled contentedly as she made her way over.

Easing down on the couch beside her girlfriend who had yet to tear her eyes away from a rerun of 'The Walking Dead', she shuffled closer, depositing a kiss on her soft sun-kissed cheek.

"Hey" she murmured as she pulled away, eyes ticking to the television just in time to see a character she despised grace the screen. Scoffing, she took off her glasses and began to clean the lenses lazily with the hem of her shirt. "I hate Andrea." She mumbled

"M'know." Piper agreed as she finally managed to scoop the rest of the soft noodles into her awaiting mouth. "She's such a whiney bitch." She mumbled thoughtlessly around her mouthful of food as she grabbed another gathering of the noodles with the chopsticks and turned towards her girlfriend. "Open." She commanded gently

Abiding to the woman's demand, Alex opened her mouth widely and accepted the proffered food, humming appreciatively soon afterward. "So good; thanks."

"Here, take this. There's more in the kitchen- I got your peppered squid, too so save room." Piper added as she reached for the napkins laying haphazardly atop the coffee table. Wiping her hands quickly, she reached over to retrieve the hard cider she had been nursing, bringing it to her lips.

"Thanks, babe." Alex smiled as she continued to eat while trying desperately to focus on the program; failing miserably as she could not shake the conversation she had with her boss earlier in the afternoon.

After another hour through the 'AMC' marathon, the two found each other snuggled closely together on the couch. Alex, for once was the one laying tiredly on the other woman as the exhaustion from the past couple of weeks had finally caught up to her as Piper ran her fingers through her onyx tresses soothingly. Suddenly, Alex felt the woman inhale deeply; a telltale sign that she was about to say something.

"So," Piper began. _Nailed It,_ Alex thought with a smirk as she stayed silent, urging the woman to continue. "I was thinking" she trailed off

"Uh oh." Alex quipped, earning a slap to the arm that resounded throughout the expanse of the house

"Shut up." Piper responded evenly before continuing her ministrations through Alex's hair. "So, I was thinking… we should totally get married." Piper finished off handedly before nudging the stunned woman leaning on her. "Pass me my cider, please?" she asked as her eyes never left the television, as if she hadn't just stunned the other woman by offering the most casually earth shattering proposal in history.


End file.
